April 07, 2013

Rangers 7, Angels 3 (F)

ARLINGTON – Ian Kinsler came through with an opposite field
home run for the first time since 2009 and it proved to be a difference-maker in
the Texas Rangers’ 7-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday night.

With the Rangers leading 4-3 in the sixth, Kinsler stepped
to the plate with runners at the corners and one out against former Texas reliever Mark
Lowe. Kinsler then sent a 3-2 fastball into the right-field seats for a
three-run shot.

Kinsler finished the night by going 3-for-3 with a walk and
four RBIs, as the Rangers won two out of three against the Angels.

Rangers starter Yu Darvish earned the victory, allowing
three runs on six hits with four walks and six strikeouts over five innings. He
exited with a blister issue on his right ring finger, the same area where a
blister developed in his season debut last Tuesday.

The Rangers don’t believe the blister issue is serious and
Darvish is expected to make his next start on Friday at Seattle.

The Angels took a 2-0 lead in the first against Darvish, but
the Rangers responded with three runs in the bottom half off Jered Weaver.
Lance Berkman had a two-run homer, and David Murphy followed with a solo shot.

The Rangers maintained the lead after that with Kinsler’s
blast providing a nice cushion.

Robbie Ross threw a scoreless inning of relief, Tanner
Scheppers threw two scoreless innings and has retired 11 of the 13 batters he’s faced this season
and Joe Nathan worked around a two-out single by Albert Pujols, ending the game by getting Josh Hamilton to ground out.